AUGUST 10, 2023 — UTSA, the United States Mint and the National Women’s History Museum will co-host the release of the latest coin in the American Women Quarters™ Program, featuring Jovita Idar, a Mexican-American journalist, activist, teacher and suffragist. Idar’s legacy will be celebrated with a ceremonial quarter release event on Thursday, September 14 at the UTSA Downtown Campus.
The quarter release will kick off UTSA’s annual Hispanic Heritage Month celebration while honoring Idar’s impact and UTSA’s role as one of the nation’s leading Hispanic Serving Institutions. It will begin with “The Historical Significance, Public Impact, and Legacy of Jovita Idar,” a roundtable scheduled at 5:30 p.m. in the Buena Vista Street Building Aula Canaria (BVB 1.328), followed by the Jovita Idar Quarter Release Celebration at 7 p.m. in the Buena Vista Street Building Theater (BVB 1.326).
Idar was born on September 7, 1885, in Laredo, Texas. The daughter of a newspaper editor and a civil rights advocate, Idar was exposed to journalism and political activism at a very young age. She devoted her life to fighting against separatist ideologies and sought to create a better future for Mexican-Americans.
Her ideas and practices were ahead of her time. She made it her mission to pursue civil rights for Mexican-Americans and believed education was the foundation for a better future. Idar wrote many news articles in various publications speaking out about racism and supporting the revolution in Mexico.
In 1911, she joined the First Mexicanist Congress in Laredo and organized Mexican-American activists. She and other women formed La Liga Femenil Mexicanista, or the League of Mexican Women, a political and charitable organization that sought to empower Mexican-American women. Idar was chosen as its first president.
Idar died in San Antonio, Texas on June 13, 1946. Throughout her life, she remained on the front lines of change and advocated fiercely for the rights of women and Mexican-Americans.
The Jovita Idar Quarter is the ninth coin in the American Women Quarters™ Program, a four-year program that celebrates the accomplishments and contributions made by women of the United States. Beginning in 2022, and continuing through 2025, the United States Mint will issue up to five new reverse designs each year.
The obverse (heads) depicts a portrait of George Washington, originally composed and sculpted by Laura Gardin Fraser to mark George Washington’s 200th birthday. A recommended design for the 1932 quarter, then-Treasury Secretary Mellon ultimately selected the familiar John Flanagan design.
The reverse (tails), designed by medallic artist John P. McGraw, features a depiction of Idar with her hands clasped. Within her body are inscriptions representing some of her greatest accomplishments and the newspapers for which she wrote.
The Quarter Release Celebration will be free and open to the public. All attendees will receive a complimentary Jovita Idar Quarter in an American Women Quarters™ Collector Coin Board.
UTSA Today is produced by University Communications and Marketing, the official news source of The University of Texas at San Antonio. Send your feedback to news@utsa.edu. Keep up-to-date on UTSA news by visiting UTSA Today. Connect with UTSA online at Facebook, Twitter, Youtube and Instagram.
Día en la Sombrilla, formerly Fiesta UTSA, is a festival hosted each spring as a part of Fiesta® San Antonio events. Sponsored by Roadrunner Productions, the event features music, food, confetti, games, event t-shirts, and more.
Sombrilla Plaza, Main CampusCovidence is a systematic & scoping review tool used to streamline the process of screening and reviewing articles. Using this software, research teams can easily import studies, perform automatic deduplication, and extract data using templates. This workshop will show attendees how to start a review in Covidence, add collaborators, and get started on screening.
Virtual (Zoom)In this workshop, attendees will be introduced to Pandas, a Python tool for working with data easily. It makes it simple to organize and analyze information when data is organized and categorized, like spreadsheets or tables.
Group Spot B, John Peace LibraryEach fall and spring semester, students convene at the Main Campus at UTSA with booths, ideas and prototypes. A crowd of judges, local organizations, students, faculty and sponsors walk around and talk to the students about their projects and ask questions. Students get the real-life experience of "pitching" their project with hopes of getting funding or support to move to the next level.
UTSA Convocation Center, Main CampusJoin the doctoral candidates for the Doctoral Conferreal Ceremony and celebrate their accomplishments.
Arts Building Recital Hall, Main CampusCelebrate the graduates from the Carlos Alvarez College of Business, College of Education and Human Development, Margie and Bill Klesse College of Engineering and Integrated Design and University College.
AlamodomeCelebrate the graduates from the College for Health, Community and Policy, College of Liberal and Fine Arts and College of Sciences.
AlamodomeThe University of Texas at San Antonio is dedicated to the advancement of knowledge through research and discovery, teaching and learning, community engagement and public service. As an institution of access and excellence, UTSA embraces multicultural traditions and serves as a center for intellectual and creative resources as well as a catalyst for socioeconomic development and the commercialization of intellectual property - for Texas, the nation and the world.
To be a premier public research university, providing access to educational excellence and preparing citizen leaders for the global environment.
We encourage an environment of dialogue and discovery, where integrity, excellence, respect, collaboration and innovation are fostered.
